What is an Ensuite Bathroom? 2021 Introduction Guide to Ensuite Bathrooms

Looking to add a bathroom to an existing room? Ensuite bathrooms are just that-a bathroom that is connected to another room. But before you decide to install one, are there any negatives to consider? How much space will you require? And most importantly, how much will it cost? Today, we hope to answer all of these questions to see if an ensuite bathroom is the right fit for your home. 

What is a Ensuite Bathroom 

An ensuite bathroom is an en suite or attached bathroom, usually connected to a bedroom. The characteristics of an ensuite bathroom that make it unique is that this bathroom must be connected to another bedroom, typically the master bedroom, to be considered an ensuite bathroom. 

Where does the term “ensuite” originate from? 

The term en suite was originally French, meaning “afterwards” or “following”. This term was later adapted in English to mean “in room” or “connected”. The english term directly relates to an ensuite bathroom as it is a bathroom that is in the same room as another bedroom or connected to another room. 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Ensuite Bathrooms

There are a few advantages ensuite bathrooms offer your home, and a few drawbacks as well. Here are some common benefits and negatives: 

Advantages

Ensuite bathrooms provide a few advantages, namely convenience and personal privacy.  

• Easy to clean and maintain-Many ensuite bathrooms are personal and small, making the space of the bathroom very manageable. A manageable space means easier cleaning and maintenance compared to a traditional bathroom space. 

• Easy to Navigate the Night-Since the ensuite bathroom is connected to the main bedroom, it is much easier to navigate in the dark or at night as it is just a few steps away from the main bedroom, rather than a few rooms down. This is incredibly useful for elderly or movement impaired individuals that require consistent access to the bathroom.  

• Personal Privacy for Individuals-Ensuite bathrooms are connected to a primary bathroom, affording the users a great deal of privacy as other users must access the room before being allowed to enter the ensuite bathroom. This guarantees that the bathroom user has privacy from the rest of the household.  

Disadvantages 

Extra privacy does come at a cost however, as ensuite bathrooms are harder to resell and require a large amount of space. 

• Hard to Resell-As stated above, ensuite bathrooms tend to take up a large amount of space compared to other bathrooms and the space is not very flexible. Because of this, ensuite bathrooms are less attractive to most homeowners and make the space harder to resell. 

• Lack of privacy for more than one person-Ensuite bathrooms are designed to be private, leisurely spaces for one individual. They can be difficult spaces to share as there is little in the way of privacy for multiple users at once. 

• Takes up a significant amount of room-Ensuite bathrooms are attached to a singular bedroom or room, resulting in a drastic amount of space required. For smaller homes, ensuite bathrooms are simply not practical and the bathroom itself is not flexible, meaning that it is difficult to convert the space into something else such as storage or even a smaller bathroom.  

Average Cost of Installing a New Ensuite Bathroom?

On average, installing a new ensuite bathroom will run anywhere between $15-30,000. Of course you can reduce this cost by lowering the cost of materials and making the space smaller, but this price point accounts for the extra labor and material costs of adding a new bathroom to an existing space. On average, installing a bathroom to an existing space will generally be 40-60% cheaper than adding a new bathroom.

However, before you install an ensuite bathroom, consider the available space you have and take into account the cost of installing over an area as an ensuite bathroom can drastically limit the available space in your home. 

Common Sizes of an Ensuite Bathroom?

Ensuite bathrooms are available in a multitude of sizes. These sizes allow you to be flexible in your bathroom installation, ensuring that you still have a reasonable amount of space afterwards.

Large Ensuite Bathroom

A large ensuite bathroom starts anywhere between 40-100 square feet. From there, a large ensuite bathroom can go upwards of 100-200 square feet and beyond with no limit. The biggest limitation to an ensuite bathroom would be the adjoining room that connects it, as an ensuite bathroom must be connected to another room to be considered an ensuite bath. But reasonably, you can build an ensuite bath as large as the adjoining room if you so desire. 

Medium Ensuite Bathroom

A medium ensuite bathroom is around 35-40 square feet. 40 square feet is the average size of a full bath, ensuring that you have space for a shower, bathtub, sink and toilet. While you can have smaller ensuite bathrooms, this will lower your bathroom to a ¾ or half bath respectively. 

Small Bathroom

The smallest a bathroom can be is around 15 square feet. 15 square feet affords you space enough for a sink and a toilet. For shower installation, you will need at least 30-36 square feet. Since an ensuite bathroom is connected to a singular room, a small ensuite bathroom is recommended as it is for personal use and 30-36 square feet allows you to utilize the space for something else in your house afterwards.  

Ensuite bathrooms can provide your home with additional privacy and easy access for the elderly and movement impaired. There are a few drawbacks, namely the resale price and the space it requires but beyond that, they can make great additions to any household so long as you plan accordingly.